Society's enhanced awareness of environmental concerns associated with effective disposal of waste material, especially toxic waste, has led to the development of numerous devices for pyrolizing waste. These pyrolysis systems generally exhibit one of three major drawbacks.
Some pyrolysis systems burn influx material and release by-products of combustion into the atmosphere. These products thus increase an environmental air quality problem while attempting to achieve solid waste disposal. Also, the resulting by-products have little value.
Some pyrolysis systems are known which are anaerobic and which produce valuable pyrolysates, but which must process influx material in discrete batches. These pyrolysis systems are not capable of continuously pyrolizing influx material without periodically exposing an anaerobic pyrolizing chamber therein to the outside environment.
Many pyrolysis systems combust influx material and create by-products which no longer contain readily available chemical energy. Some of these systems utilize energy generated during the pyrolysis to generate heat which in turn can be used to boil steam within a power plant or for some other power output. These systems fail to capture and store pyrolysates in a form which still possesses a high level of chemical energy and which can then be used for a variety of different useful purposes including later use in power production.
The patent to Horton represents a continuous pyrolysis system which avoids discharging contaminating output into the environment, can continuously process influx material and which outputs pyrolysates in a form still having a high level of chemical energy. Horton represents an early stage in the evolution of continuous anaerobic pyrolysis systems. For example, Horton teaches a "revolving door"-type entrance that accepts influx material along with air trapped therein.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
______________________________________ INVENTOR PAT. NO. ISSUE DATE ______________________________________ Hobbs, et al. 3,648,630 March 14, 1972 Kemp 4,052,265 October 4, 1977 Herbold, et al. 4,084,521 April 18, 1978 Kolze, et al. 4,311,102 January 19, 1982 Brewer 4,402,791 September 6, 1983 Tomita, et al. 4,577,564 March 25, 1986 Tomita, et al. 4,645,065 February 24, 1987 Keough 4,648,328 March 10, 1987 Horton 4,900,401 February 13, 1990 DiSanto, Sr. 5,099,771 March 31, 1992 Jarrell 5,230,777 July 27, 1993 ______________________________________